Template talk:Infobox civilian attack

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[edit] Punctuation

This is a bit minor, but the time-begin and time-end should really be separated by an endash, rather than a hyphen. I'd fix it myself, but I can't even begin to figure out how. Salmar 15:04, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

I feel that would be much easier to type in if it's just a hyphen. -- tariqabjotu (joturner) 15:07, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
You don't have to type it in... the template adds it in automatically, someone just needs to change it.—Salmar 18:45, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
Oh, I understand what you were saying. I thought you were saying that the time-begin and time-end parameters should really be time — begin and time — end. I made the change. -- tariqabjotu (joturner) 19:41, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
Sorry for bothering you even more, but you just changed the hyphen to an emdash, but it should be an endash (–) Salmar 21:24, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
But then, by looking at your edit, I figured out how to fix it myself (-: Salmar 21:26, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Width

Some changes have been made to the template, and now it seems to be just slightly too narrow—on some pages (see, for example, World Trade Center bombing), the (s) in Perpetrator(s) is on the line under the word Perpetrator. —Salmar 01:01, 5 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Width 2

2005 Al Hillah bombing
Location Al Hillah, Iraq
Date February 28, 2005
Attack type suicide car bomb
Deaths 127
 
Major terrorist attacks of the Iraq War
Attacks with 100+ fatalities in bold:
1st Baghdad – 2nd Baghdad – Najaf – 3rd Baghdad – Nasiriyah – 1st Karbala – Irbil – Ashoura – Basra – Mosul – 4th Baghdad – Karbala-Najaf – Baqubah – Kufa – FOB Marez – 1st Al Hillah – Musayyib – 5th Baghdad – 6th Baghdad – 1st Balad – Khanaqin – Karbala-Ramadi – 1st Samarra – 7th Baghdad – 8th Baghdad – 9th Baghdad – 10th Baghdad – 11th Baghdad – 12th Baghdad – 13th Baghdad – 14th Baghdad – 2nd Al Hillah – Tal Afar – 15th Baghdad – 16th Baghdad – 2nd Karbala – 17th Baghdad – 3rd Karbala – Makhmour – Abu Sayda – 2nd Samarra – 18th Baghdad – Amirli – Kirkuk – 19th Baghdad – 20th Baghdad – Qahtaniya – 21st Baghdad – 2nd Balad – 4th Karbala

The template has to be wide to be in line with the campaignbox (see example) --TheFEARgod (Ч) 10:41, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

However the image should be put to express our judgement how wide it should be. --TheFEARgod (Ч) 10:41, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

A suggestion: if you're going to be using this extensively with campaignboxes, it may be a good idea to use the MILHIST infobox style, to keep the two in sync. Kirill Lokshin 19:53, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Use of this template in non-terror contexts

Both Columbine High School massacre and Virginia Tech massacre use this template, although it's questionable whether the these two events meet the criteria of "the aim of creating fear not only to the victims but among a wide audience" (from Definition of terrorism).

Perhaps this template should be renamed, or a clone should be created for use in those events.

I recognize that, since the definition of the term is obviously controversial, the question of whether the term is appropriately used in these cases is obviously just as controversial. — JBazuzi (talk • contribs) 15:03, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

This Infobox is in use, in Virginia Tech massacre, because it covers the fields that show the basic info surrounding the event. Although an extra box, Suspected perps would improve NPOV. Thanks, Monkeyblue 09:11, 18 April 2007 (UTC)
I went ahead and added susperps to the template. Now in use in VTm. Monkeyblue 09:37, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Just to point it out, Halifax Explosion also use this template, even though it is confirmed as an accident, for lack of anything better. SYSS Mouse 00:43, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

When I saw this on the Virginia Tech massacre article, I thought the same thing. I have moved the template to Template:Infobox civilian attack; that should cover the Virginia Tech and Columbine uses. -- tariqabjotu 17:40, 22 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Remove Motive section

I'd like to suggest that the Motive tag is unneeded in this template. By in large, speculation on the motives of an attack on civilians is subjective and ultimately unimportant. By definition, any attack on civilians is illegal and immoral. Debating the motive behind an attack rarely, if ever, serves any purpose but the attackers. Ronnotel 21:23, 24 April 2007 (UTC)

I agree. It's too hard to ascribe motive in these cases. Griot 23:12, 2 May 2007 (UTC)
I've changed "Motive" to "Claimed motive" as this is less likely to be in dispute. --GCarty 08:47, 20 June 2007 (UTC)
Sounds good. thanks. Ronnotel 11:22, 20 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Weapons section

Is it possible to put a Weapons section in the template? This would make it possible to list the weapons used in these attacks. Griot 23:11, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

I just added one. -- tariqabjotu 23:20, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Al Qaeda Operations?

There is a debate in progress at the USS Cole Bombing article, in which an editor objects to the use of this template on the grounds that the attack on the Cole was on a military target, therefore doesn't qualify as terrorism (or a civilian attack, as per the new name of the template). Is there any way to create a clone of the template under the name Template:Al Qaeda operations, to satisfy the editor in question, yet still provide the same information format? It is a matter of semantics, but I don't want to get into an edit war over the name of the infobox template. Ordinarily, I'd do it myself, but templates are tricky beasts and I don't want to screw anything up in the process. Horologium t-c 04:03, 11 June 2007 (UTC)

Never mind. Duh, redirects work quite well. :\ Horologium t-c 04:28, 11 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Weapons section is distasteful

Basically that. It's gross. ¶ dorftrottel ¶ talk ¶ 02:16, December 7, 2007

Agreed. --82.183.224.40 (talk) 14:20, 5 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Remove Target section

This is the source of instant contention as it implies knowledge of the perpetrators' motives. Sources are unlikely to specify this separately from information concerning Location + Deaths and Injured, which can be established accurately and are sufficient by themselves. Target is redundant, as it is covered by Location, Deaths and Injuries. Tyrenius (talk) 14:36, 17 January 2008 (UTC)

Also as stated on talk page Suspected perpetrator(s) Provisional IRA, should also be changed to Perpetrator(s) Unknown. BigDunc (talk) 15:00, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
That's not relevant to this template discussion. It is a localised concern and can be discussed Talk:M62 coach bombing#Perpetrator(s) section. Tyrenius (talk) 15:07, 17 January 2008 (UTC)
Sorry, I disagree. e.g. 1983 Beirut barracks bombing - location was two specific buildings, while targets were US and French peace keepers. Socrates2008 (Talk) 10:17, 6 February 2008 (UTC)

I presume you're disagreeing with the first paragraph rather than the one you've posted directly under. In 1983 Beirut barracks bombing the info box gives the location as "USMC barracks, Beirut Airport" and "'Drakkar' barracks of French 1er Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes, Ramlet al Baida, Beirut", with deaths as "241 American servicemen, 58 French servicemen, 6 civilians, 2 suicide bombers". Nothing more will be achieved by saying, "Target: American servicemen and French servicemen." It is rather obvious, although, as it happens, there is nothing in the article to say they were the target and no reference to that effect, so in wiki terms it is therefore original research and vetoed anyway. The article says correctly, "Two truck bombs struck separate buildings in Beirut housing U.S. and French members of the Multinational Force in Lebanon". Tyrenius (talk) 11:04, 6 February 2008 (UTC)